Anya's Christmas Carol
by Peter Cowan
Summary: The Scoobies decide that Anya needs to learn about the true spirit of Christmas (and Hannukah)


Author Peter  
  
Disclaimer Joss, Mutant Enemy, Fox etc. who are the real owners of the  
  
Buffyverse. Charles Dickens, it's out of copyright but he deserves a  
  
mention.  
  
  
  
Sunnydale - Christmas Time  
  
  
  
The Scoobies were meeting to discuss a serious problem.  
  
  
  
"It's Anya, she is becoming really impossible," Buffy complained. "All  
  
she thinks about is money. Sorry, Xander, I know she is your ex but it has  
  
to be said. " She grinned apologetically.  
  
  
  
"' s OK, Buff, I know exactly what you mean. Once I forgot to bring a  
  
coupon to the supermarket. Whooo, like I lost Fort Knox the way she went on.  
  
" A faint smile, as he remembered the argument and the much more pleasant  
  
making up. After he'd given her money to the coupon's value.  
  
  
  
"What has she done now ?" Willow, no great of fan of Anya at the best of  
  
times waited expectantly for an answer.  
  
  
  
Buffy shrugged. "What hasn't she done ? I was in the Magic Box, getting  
  
an emergency supply of Holy Water and she charged me for it. Me!! Not even a  
  
discount for fighting the forces of evil. And when I told her Father Ryan  
  
gave it away for free, all she said was in that case I should go see him."  
  
They all looked shocked. "And that wasn't all, " they leaned closer waiting  
  
to hear "she didn't contribute to the Sunnydale Shopowners Charity Fund for  
  
the Homeless and Destitute. " She didn't get any further, the gasps of  
  
outrage from Willow and Xander preventing further conversation.  
  
  
  
It was Xander who spoke next. "She must be made to see the error of her  
  
ways, especially at this festive time. The Spirit of Christmas....and  
  
Hanukkah" he hastily appended at Willow's glare.  
  
  
  
"Yes but how?" Buffy asked. They thought a while, being interrupted only  
  
when Dawn came downstairs. "hey guys, why the long faces ?" Buffy answered,  
  
"We're deciding what to do about Anya" Dawn laughed, "that old scrooge.....  
  
hey what's so funny...I just said....oh be like that" She stomped off  
  
leaving the other three laughing helplessly.  
  
  
  
"Scrooge...you thinking what I'm thinking ?" Buffy finally spoke. "Sure  
  
am" they answered......  
  
  
  
  
  
It had been a long day. Night had fallen over Sunnydale as Anya  
  
carefully locked up. Locks, Fire and Burglar Alarms, Magic Wards, all the  
  
paraphernalia associated with securing a magic shop. She finished, then  
  
began the long walk home. There was something wrong. A feeling as if she  
  
were being followed. Vampires, again, she thought. Oh well, "Hey you  
  
guys...demon now, no snacking on me." A rustle and muted "Aw, shucks"  
  
rewarded her outburst. Smiling , she looked back and saw..."Olaf ? Is that  
  
you ?"  
  
  
  
"Anyanka, I have been summonsed to give you a warning. Repent you from  
  
the path of avarice lest you ...ummm..lest you stray...ummmm" he looked  
  
up.."who writes this garbage? Oh ? Well tell him from me that..." he began  
  
mumbling in Troll. Then, "Hello, Anyanka. Who's been a naughty demon? Well,  
  
I'm here to tell you that three spirits will visit you tonight." She rolled  
  
her eyes, not that old chestnut again. Yes, that old chestnut. "to show you  
  
the error of your ways. Wait for the clock to strike..." "Hey," she butted  
  
in, " Digital, it doesn't strike anything." "twelve," he continued, ignoring  
  
her. "OK, that's the business over. So, Anyanka, how are you doing? I heard  
  
you and that puny mortal were getting married."  
  
  
  
Several minutes of smalltalk later, they arrived at Anya's apartment  
  
block. Olaf glanced at his wrist, "is that the time. Must fly. We must do  
  
this again some time." As she nodded, he vanished. Phew, she thought, what  
  
did I ever see in that guy ? So, the old three spirit lark. What brought  
  
that on I wonder.?  
  
  
  
Much later......  
  
  
  
"Hey, Anyanka, wake up sleepyhead" she felt herself being pushed. "Come  
  
along now...rise and shine" An eye opened. "Halfrek ? What the hell are you  
  
doing here ? " The other demon laughed. "Dohhhh, I'm the first spirit. You  
  
know, show what fun times you used to have at Christmas. Course, you never  
  
did, being a pagan Viking then a vengeance demon. But what the heck, gets me  
  
out of Hell for a night, so I'll go party if you don't mind. " Anya turned.  
  
"Oh, all right, see you later, Halfy" Then as the other demon faded away a  
  
thought..."Maybe I overdid the cheese a bit"  
  
  
  
She couldn't sleep. There was an irritating noise from the main room.  
  
All sleigh bells and ho ho ho's Of course. The second spirit. Well, seemed  
  
like she wasn't going to get any shuteye just yet. Putting a robe on over  
  
her skimpy but stylish and suitable for PG viewing night attire, she slowly  
  
pushed open the door. "Ho, ho, ho" An apparition in red with a beard .  
  
"Giles ?? Why are you in my apartment dressed as Santa ? " he looked  
  
crestfallen. "Oh, you noticed. Well I am the spirit of Christmas presents"  
  
he waved expansively at all the wrapped boxes around his feet." She looked  
  
blank. Then he cocked an ear..."Oh...I thought you said presents...well I  
  
can't help it if you can't speak clearly. All right, all right." He waved  
  
his hands. "Happy now ?" he told his unseen hearer, as all the presents and  
  
the Santa suit vanished. "  
  
  
  
"Giles?" she spoke again. "Yes, Anya, he replied. I'm here to show what  
  
your actions have lead you to this Christmas. Come along, remember that  
  
young man you wouldn't sell the Orb of Thesulah to ?" He frowned, "or should  
  
that be to who you didn't sell the Orb of Thesulah" She glared at him,  
  
"Enough already...what of it ? He didn't have the money..." her vision swam.  
  
  
  
They were in a park. Two people were arguing. It was a young man and,  
  
she assumed, his girlfriend. He was in tears, "No, I couldn't get it. I  
  
didn't have the money. Tomorrow, maybe the day after, I'm sure." The girl  
  
laughed. I can't wait that long she cried as she vamped out and began to  
  
feed. Just then, Buffy appeared and swiftly dispatched the vampire, leaving  
  
the boy sobbing on the ground. "I was going to give her her soul back" he  
  
sobbed, "but that mean shopkeeper wouldn't let me buy the orb. I promised  
  
I'd pay her back, with interest once Daddy sent my allowance." Anya snorted,  
  
"Sure, just who does he think he is ?" Giles coughed, "actually, his father  
  
owns the Sunnydale Bank...." "Oh" Anya looked pensive. "So, from this I'm  
  
supposed to learn not to judge by appearances ?" Giles struck his head, "By  
  
George, I think she's got it."  
  
  
  
"OK, all aboard, next stop the Sunnydale Home for Homeless and  
  
Destitute. " Giles shouted. They appeared before a shabby building. A  
  
haggard old woman was distributing soup and some bread, apologising that  
  
that was all they could manage. A sign showed that the multi-course  
  
Christmas dinner had had to be cancelled. Giles sniffed. "When I ran the  
  
Magic Box, I always made sure that this place had enough money for Christmas  
  
dinner." Anya looked perplexed. Then, "Oh, so that's why December's cash  
  
flow was so lousy? I mean Giles, you seriously hurt the profits. For what,  
  
so a bunch of deadbeats can get a feast they don't deserve ?"  
  
  
  
Giles looked shocked. "It isn't working, is it ? " Anya smiled. "Nope"  
  
He sighed. "Right, then I'll show you how others celebrate Christmas. He  
  
took her on a whirlwind tour. LA, where Angel, Wesley and Cordelia were  
  
helping with the festivities at Anne's hostel. A prison, Faith, hanging up  
  
some Christmas cards and humming carols, An army camp in the jungle, Riley,  
  
his wife and their army pals wassailing merrily away. Even to Rio, where a  
  
female vampire was preparing a Christmas meal for her dollies. Then back to  
  
Sunnydale. "Time to go," said Giles, "I'll send the next spirit along soon."  
  
  
  
The lights dimmed. She thought back to Christmas's past. A smile, when  
  
Joyce had invited them all around, all the gang, Willow and Tara laughing  
  
together at Miss Kitty's antics, Giles canoodling with Olivia, even Harmony  
  
had made an appearance, staring through the window.  
  
  
  
Then she started. the vision, so real, faded. A shadow drew across the  
  
room. A cloaked figure entered. "Oh,you the third spirit ?" she queried. It  
  
nodded. "Gonna show me what's to come if I don't mend my ways ?" Again a  
  
nod. "OK, well let's be going, I'm missing valuable sleeptime here." He  
  
motioned her towards the door, then followed as she exited. She walked on,  
  
then thinking of something began "O...mind the loose step" just as the  
  
figure tumbled and collapsed. "Oh bugger it" the hitherto voiceless being  
  
swore. "Spike ??" she spoke, amazed. He got up, "Course it is. Everybody  
  
else has had a bleeding cameo in this story. What do I get, mysterious  
  
cloaked figure. Anyway, here's your future if you don't change......"  
  
  
  
It was the Magic Box. There was some sort of sale. "Bankrupt Stock" the  
  
posters proclaimed. To one side, a tearful Anya watched. An official  
  
hammered a poster onto the door. "Notice of Foreclosure. Sunnydale Bank".  
  
Spike laughed. "Not such the astute businesswoman are we?" Then he waved his  
  
hands.  
  
  
  
She was alone. Wandering the streets. The apartment gone. She'd begged  
  
her friends. Xander wanted to help but Mrs Harris wasn't to keen on his  
  
exes, and with Xander junior..... Buffy, well, finances being tight, she'd  
  
skimped and well, too bad that she ran out of Holy Water...Willow, oh no, no  
  
way could she help. Off the magic even bailing Anya out could be too much.  
  
She'd even looked sincere. Except for the smile.  
  
  
  
She finally reached the place. "H..e F.. The Desti.ut." The lights were  
  
dimmed. An old lady stood by the door. "Hello dear, I'm sorry there's no  
  
food" Anya nodded. "A bed ?" she forced the words out. The lady smiled. "Of  
  
course, dear. Come this way. " Gratefully, Anya followed, listening as the  
  
woman talked on and on. How this place used to do so well. Until the  
  
donations dried up, "Oh?" Anya asked. "Yes, it started when the Magic Box  
  
stopped its donations. Then they all stopped. So here we are." She showed  
  
Anya to a small cubicle. Anya peered in. "But there's nothing here...." then  
  
"Owww" as the woman pushed her in. "No, there isn't, but it's your bed, lie  
  
in it...." The door slammed.  
  
  
  
She woke, light streaming in through the window. Whooooo, she thought,  
  
definitely OD'd on the cheese. Then she stopped. What if....?  
  
  
  
"Hey guys" Xander's excited cry rang through the house. It was the local  
  
news. "....local businesswoman, Anya Jenkins, today handed over a cheque for  
  
Five thousand, yes, five thousand dollars to the Shopowner's charity. Miss  
  
Jenkins was quoted as saying ' we need to remember, especially at Christmas,  
  
those less fortunate' In other news, the fiancee of the bank president's  
  
son...." The news of her miraculous cure, albeit with a severe photophobia,  
  
was lost in the cheers from Xander, Willow and Buffy.  
  
  
  
Anya sat back, contentedly.  
  
  
  
The day had gone well. The TV slot of her handing over the donation.  
  
Money couldn't buy that sort of advertising. All tax deductible as well. A  
  
quick call to the accountant had showed that Giles had never declared all  
  
the previous donations. Looked like this year the IRS would be sending her a  
  
cheque. The Bank president's son. She really would have to thank Giles about  
  
that one. Daddy had been so relieved that she managed knock a full  
  
percentage point off her overdraft, as well as getting it extended a bit.  
  
And if they ever tried to foreclose.....well a vampire daughter-in-law was a  
  
great thing to hold over someone.  
  
  
  
As she finally dozed off, she wondered, just who had been so nice as to  
  
send the spirits.............. 


End file.
